Got That Valentine Gift, Or Was That For The Super Bowl?

The National Retail Federation says consumers spent $17 billion dollars on Valentine's Day gifts this year. Next to flowers and chocolates, jewelry is one of the most popular gifts to give for Valentine's Day. If you receive an engagement ring, other jewelry or even a new flat screen TV last month just in time for the Super Bown, make sure you properly insure these items and add them to your home inventory. Standard homeowners and renters insurance policies (if you rent, you do have renters insurance, don't you) include coverage for personal items such as jewelry or flat screen TVs, but many policies limit the dollar amount of coverage for theft or loss of valuable personal possessions such as jewelry, furs, electronics and precious stones from $1,000 to $2,000. "To properly insure jewelry and other expensive items like home theater hardware, consider purchasing additional coverage through an "endorsement". The cost is quite inexpensive in comparison to the cost of the covered item. Action items: -- Take pictures of all the new/expensive stuff -- Add them to your home inventory (you do have a home inventory, right?) -- Call your insurance agent or company and add the $$$ items to your policy -- Take a look around. The more stuff you have, the more secure your home should be don't make it easy for the bad guys. It's worth the effort, and you'll be glad you covered yourself (financially) and your stuff. Go to http://www.giis.org, and on the left side of the screen you will find a blue button that says:"GIIS download home inventory software" Click that button to download free home inventory sofware developed by the insurance industry. To find out more about renters insurance facts, go to: http://www.giis.org/consumer/consumernews.shtml and view information about the importance and need for renters to insure their belongings. Less than half of all renters have it and it is very inexpensive compared to the loss of all your belongings.